Step 4: Wiring up the circuit

This is a self sufficient Arduino board, which is powered by harnessing solar power and using a 9V rechargeable battery. It is perfect for anyone who is interested in doing Arduino projects that do not require a computer or any power supply. You can take this to the most remote places for any project.

Step 1: Setting up the Arduino board

This is probably the simplest step (please use the schematic as reference for wiring before doing anything else).

Change the jumper of the Arduino board to "EXT"

Step 2: Understanding the components

This step would require you to have a basic understanding of the components and their polarities. This is probably the toughest bit of the setup. For easier understanding, I have used red wires for positive and black wires for negative.

Step 3: Getting the power connector ready

Solder the positive and negative wires to the power connector as shown in the picture. The power connectors come in different diameters, so do choose the correct size to fit the Arduino board.

Step 4: Wiring up the circuit

This shows the circuit I have soldered. I have made it bigger for easier understanding. It can actually be made much much smaller (half the size or even smaller). You can download a more detailed document on this from my website at:http://www.p2man.com/arduino/self_sufficient_arduino.pdf

You're done! Now you can break away from power points and even have Arduino projects out in natural environments without a problem.

It really depends on the voltage of your battery. Different solar cells have different ampere rating and voltage, so you would not something that is too powerful or too weak in comparison to your battery.